Carrier-sorting device for pneumatic conveyer systems



May 18,1926. 585,288

W. J. HEPPERLE CARRIER SORTING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC CONVEYER SYSTEMS Original F l d n 11. 1921 awuautoz W/LL/HM J Ha pen/.5

35 Gbtomeq Patented May 18, 1923.

LStitZtt WILLIAM J. HEPPEELE, OF BLGOMFIELD,

NEN'JEESEY, ASSIGHOR TO THE LAM'SON COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPGRATIEOIQ' O33 MASSACHUSETTS.

CARRIER-SORTING DEVICE FOR PNEUMIATIC CONVEYE'B, SYSTEMS.

Application filed June 11, 1%521, Serial This invention relates to carrier sorting devices for use in pneumatic conveyor systems.

In the operation of pneumatic despatch apparatus devices are made use of for selectively separating the carriers into two classes as they approach the discharge ends of the tubes. Such separating devices ordinarily include latching devices as well as other operating parts whose tendency is unnecessarily to complicate the structure and cause it readily to get out of order.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier sorting device having an improved and simplified structure, and in which but a single moving part cooperates with the fixed portions of the tube to perform the desired carrier separating or sor ing function.

In the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is selected for illustration,

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of a carrier sorting device embodying the invention and showing the relation of the parts when carriers of a certain class are being operated upon.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the relation of parts when carriersof another class are being operated upon.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings there is shown at 1 a tubular casing adapted to be interposed at any desired point in a pneumatic despatch tube. ihis casing or tube section 1 is provided with a lateral outlet port or aperture 4 intermediate its inletend 2 and its discharge end 3. The outlet port 4- is of sufficient length to permit the bodily lateral movement of a carrier such, for example, as the carrier 5, through such opening.

A carrier supporting or sorting abutment comprising an inwardly extending arm 7 and a weighted arm 8 is pivotally supported upon suitable brackets 6 projecting from the side wall of the casing 1 immediately below the lower edge of the opening 4-. The weighted arm 8 is disposed at the outer side of the casing and is so related to the arm 7 as normally to hold the latter in upwardly inclined position with its free upper end disposed substantially at the axis of the cars mg 1, The abutment comprising the arms 7 and 8 is preferably of unitary or inte- N'o. 4%,871. Renewed October 17, 1925.

gral construction and the wall of the casing is provided with a narrow slot 9 to permit the arm 7 to swing clear of the path of carriers so as to permit certain carriers to pass freely on through the lower part of the cas ing. The upper edge of the opening or slot 9 forms a stop at 10' to limit upward movement of the arm 7. i

The arm 7 preferably terminates in a contact element 11 of rounded form, although the exact shape of this end is not material. This free end of the arm is adapted to interlock or positively to engage with a suitably shaped cooperating elementupon the forward ends of certain carriers. For example, if the carrier be provided with a recessed head, the cnt 11 of the arm 7 will engage the angle between the bottom and side walls of the recess 12 of the carrier head and when so engaged the continued descending movement of the carrier will cause the element 11 of the arm to swing outwardly and to the left and thereby force the forward or advancing end of the carrier 5 laterally with respect to the axis of the casing. Preferably the casing is provided with a recess or offset 13 in its wall at a point substantially opposite to the lower end of the aperture l. lVhen the carrier is moved laterally by engagement with the arm 7, its lowermost left hand edge is moved into contact withthe bottom wall or floor of the recess 13. The carrier is thus caused to describe an arcuate path having its point of contact with the wall of the recess 13 as a center, thereby causing the can ricr to topple laterally and downwardly through the outletaperturc 1.

Obviously the advancing head of the carrier may be furnished with any other and equivalent means for positive or non-slipping engagement with the element 11 of the arm 7 so that as the element 11 swings in its predetermined arcuate path under the momentum of the carrier the advancing end of the carrier will be positively moved laterally relative to its center of gravity and retarded.

If on the other hand, the advancing head of the carrier be unprovided with any part or element with which the end 11 of arm 7 can positively interlock or engage, for ex ample, if as shown, the carrier 5 (Fig. 2) have a fiat or smooth advancing end, the end 11 of the arm '7 will merely slide along Ill) such smooth end without ahordin any appreciable obstruction to the downward movement of the carrier. The result is that the (ffll'llel 5 cmitinues its descent and pushes the arm 7 h c it, thus rotating the arm on its pivot in ll the arm svvings out through slot 9 thus permitting the carrier to on through the lower part of the g and out through the discharge end 3 thereof. 1 soon as the carrier has passed the arm 7, t 1e weighted arm 8 becomes ac tive to restore the arm 7 to its normal position wher it rests against the stop 10.

Under some circumstances it may be pre terrcd to dispense with the recess 13. For example, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings the wall of the casing l oppositeto the opening 4: may be smoothly cylindrical and in such case the thrust afforded by the engagement of the end 11 of the arm 7 with the recess 12 or other irregularity in the head of the carrier 5 is suiiicient to bind the left hand edge of the lower head or the carrier against the side wall of the casing with sutlicient force to retard the carrier at this point so that the momentum of the carrier is suiiicient to swing its upper end downwardly to the right, thus causing the carrier to topple out through the opening l.

lVhile the mechanism provided is adapted with certainty to divide carriers into classes in accordance with the configuration of the surfaces on their advancing ends, the device employed is of the simplest possible character consisting of but a single moving part and thus, although the desired results are secured, the employment of complicated latch and spring mechanism such as has been used previously in devices of this charactor is entirely avoided.

ll hat I claim is:

1. A carrier sorting device for pneumatic despatch tubes comprising a tube section having an outlet port in one end and an outlet port in one side wall thereof, an arm pivoted on said section and extending into the path of travel of car iers passing into the section, said arm having an upward inclination such that the end of the arm will engage the recess in the end of a recessed carrier and thereby cause the carrier to topple laterally into the outlet port in the side wall of the terminal section.

2. A. carrier sorting device for pneumatic despatch tubes comprising a tube member having two out-let ports, an arm pivoted in a side wall of said terminal member and normally extending into the terminal in position to engage an arriving carrier at a point substantially at the center of the advancing end, whereby a carrier having a recessed end will have its progress interrupted and be caused to topple laterally out oi an a'ljaccnt outlet port and whereby a carrier having a non-recessed end will push said arm out of its path and continue its progress through the terminal to the other outlet port.

A carrier sorting device for pneumatic d spatch tubes comprising a tube section ving an outlet portin one side wall therean arm pivoted on said section adjacent the lower end of said outlet in said side wall, a recess in the wall of the section 01' posits said outlet, said arm projecting into said section in an upwardly inclined position to engage the recess in the end of a recessed carrier and thereby deflect the carrier laterally to engage the edge of said recess and topple outwardly through the opposit i disposed outlet port.

4-. A carrier sorting device for pneumatic despatch tubes comprising a tube section having an outlet port in one side wall thereor, a weighted arm pivoted on said section adjacent the lower end of said outlet in sai side wall, recess in the wall of the section opposite said outlet, said arm projecting into said section toward said recess and taking an upwardly inclined position to engage the recess in the end of a recessed car'- ricr and thereby deflect the carrier laterally to engage the edge of said recess and topple outwardly through the oppositely disposed outlet port.

A carrier sorting device for pneumatic despatch tubes comprising a casing having a lateral outlet port, a single counterbalanced arm extending into the patn or carriers moving through said casing, said arm being arranged to engage an irregularity upon the surface of the advancing head oi a carrier and thereby to force the advancing head of the carrier against the side of the casing opposite to that side thereof having the outlet port whereby to retard the advancing head of the carrier and cause its trailing head to topple out through the lateral outlet port while permitting carriers whose advancing heads are unprovided with irregularities to continue on without interruption in their normal path through the casing.

6. A carrier sorting device for pneumatic despatch systems comprising a casino providing a pathway for carriers, said casing having a lateral discharge port, and a counterweighted, one piece pivoted abutment having an arm normally disposed transversely of said pathway, said arm having a part adapted to engage carrier heads of predetermined shape and by the forward momentum of the carrier to force the advancing head of the carrier laterally from below its center of gravity thereby to topple the carrier out through the lateral port, said abutment swinging when impacted. by carriers having heads of another shap to permit the latter carriers to continue along their normal pathway.

7. A carrier sorting device for pneumatic despatch tubes comprising a casing providing a passage for carriers, said casing having a lateral discharge aperture in its side Wall, an arm pivotally supported upon the casing and extending into the path of travel of carriers passing through the easing, said arm normally being upwardly inclined from its pivot point and being provided with an element adapted for nonslipping engagement with a cooperating elerier pathway, the inner end of the arm be ing shaped to interlock with carrier heads of certain configuration and by the momentum of such carriers to force their advancing heads transversely of the casing away from the aperture whereby they caused to topple out through the aperture, the arm swinging freely when engaged by carriers having heads with which it does not interlock to permit such carriers to continue on along their normal path.

9. A carrier sorting device for pneumatic despatch tubes comprising a tube section having an outlet port in one side wall thereof and a recess in its opposite wall, an abutment element normally disposed substantially centrally of said tube section and movable in a predetermined path toward the recessed wall or the section, said abutment element being shaped to engage carrier heads of certain contour and by the momentum of such a carrier to force one edge of its advancing head into said recess thereby positively to stop said head and cause the trailing head to describe an arenate path out through the outlet port.

it). A carrier sorting device for pneumatic despatch tubes comprising a tube section having an outlet aperture in one side wall thereof, an abutment element movable in a fixed path from a point intermediate the sides of the tube section downwardly away from the aperture toward the opposite wall of the tube section, said member being shaped to engage carrier heads of certain shape and by the momentum of such a carrier to force its advancing head into contact with the wall of the casing opposite to the aperture thereby retarding one edge of said head and causing the opposite head to describe an arcuate path with such pointof contact as a center whereby to topple the carrier out through the opening.

WILLIAM J. HEPPERLE. 

